This workshop offers classically trained singers a rare chance to explore the great beauty and diversity of the Yiddish art song with one of its leading interpreters in the world today, soprano Svetlana Kundish. Repertoire will include arranged folksongs, chamber romances and cantorial music, and a special topic will be music composed in Terezín (Theresienstadt) during the war. The main goal is to acquire new repertoire while gaining a deeper understanding of the language, pronunciation, style and special ornamentation of Yiddish vocal music. There will also be an opportunity for a master class, and singers are welcome to bring their own repertoire.

The 2011 Advanced Song Workshop will be a remarkable, first-time encounter of three different epochs of Ashkenazic culture during Yiddish Summer Weimar. The "center of gravity" of the Advanced Song Workshop has always been the repertoire and style of 19th-20th century East European Yiddish traditional singing, and in 2011, the wonderful singer Ethel Raim and the eminent Yiddish folklorist Itzik Gottesman return to share their mastery of this subject. The second of our three Ashkenazic epochs, Yiddish music and culture in German lands around the year 1600, is a brand new area of discovery for most of us in Yiddish Summer Weimar. We are delighted to have with us the fine young scholar and singer, Diana Matut, to introduce us to the language (Western Middle Yiddish), history and music of this period, based on her original, pathbreaking research. (Please see her own description of the work she will present below). Complementing the work of Diana Matut will be Avery Gosfield, a great musician and music director of the Ensemble Lucidarium, a Milan-based ensemble that will perform a concert of Jewish Renaissance music (including some of Diana Matut's findings) during Yiddish Summer Weimar. Avery Gosfield will lead an ensemble exploring historical and contemporary instrumental arrangements and accompaniments based on Ashkenazic Jewish Renaissance music.Finally, since the relationship between Yiddish and German belongs to our present epoch as much as to the past, the provocative young singer/songwriter Dan Kahn will contribute his critical perspective to questions of linguistic, cultural and musical translation.The Advanced Yiddish Song Workshop this year promises to be extraordinarily informative, inspiring and provocative. We hope you can join us!

About the workshop – Diana MatutFirst and foremost, this workshops aims at introducing all interested students of the Yiddish Summer Weimar to the world of Yiddish music in Ashkenaz around 1600 – the time of the Renaissance (musically speaking) or the Early Modern Period (historically speaking). We will focus mainly on the German speaking lands, keeping in mind the wider Ashkenazic cultural continuum, especially Italy and Poland. This means that we must acquaint ourselves as best the limited time allows with the socio-historical background of Jewish life at the period, the relevant (musical) sources, the possibilities and limitations of Jewish musicians, their access to instruments, teaching and knowledge of music theory, the language itself (Western Middle Yiddish that is) as well as questions of cultural transfer between religions and denominations. For the singers: We will strive together for an understanding and consistent pronunciation of the chosen texts in Western Middle Yiddish. Furthermore, we will try to work on the voice production itself. Since this is very different from what you may be used to while performing modern Yiddish songs, we’ll need some time to listen to recordings in order to develop a feeling for a voice “ideal”. This “ideal” is of course not fixed, but serves only as an example, a could-be-path. We will limit ourselves to very few pieces in order to perform them as “historically correct” and aesthetically appealing with regard to Old-Music-standards as we possibly can. In doing so we must remain aware that all attempts at “historical correctness” are, of course, only reconstructions and approximations.

ApproachAs a general approach to my teachings I would say that it is my aim to make the richness, the diversity, the broadness, the lifelines and exuberant creativity of Ashkenazi culture in Early Modern Times transparent. Not only did Ashkenazi musicians perform wonderful pieces, not only did Yiddish writers translate and create literature that was in quality and finesse equal to every other European-language production, but there existed also an ongoing, casual cultural transfer between the Christian and Jewish spheres that was as normal as it was remarkable. We should cherish the fact that Jewish and Christian cultures were interwoven for centuries in Ashkenaz – inspiring each other, taking over literary material and forms, melodies and songs, instruments and techniques. Christians and Jews were fellow-Europeans, enjoying at least on the secular level the same music, the same poetry, the same stories. Jewish writers transcribed, adapted, re-wrote European stories, songs, and poems.Jewish musicians performed at Christian festivities and vice versa for centuries. The Jewish community (obviously especially the women) craved as much for new pamphlets with songs and poems as did their fellow contemporaries and the need for cultural entertainment was ever so great. All in all, I would like to present a glimpse into this remarkable time in history that proves once more: Jewish secular music is an integral part of the European musical heritage en large. At the same time early Yiddish music is unthinkable without the developments of the surrounding European music and the cultural transfer of the period – a beautiful symbioses.

The title of this year’s symposium could easily imply a time period of more than 1000 years and a geographical span of five continents! Our ambitions will be more modest, nevertheless, this is one of the first symposia to explore the intercultural connections among Yiddish & German traditional instrumental music, song and dance. Session topics will range from the 16th through the 21st centuries.

The symposium is not aimed at an audience of academic specialists, but at students, scholars and anyone interested in this extremely rich topic. The primary language will be English. Details will be published here in the coming weeks.

Klezmer music, like the Yiddish language itself, resonates with the history of other times and places, other languages, other musics. Like an archeological site, new layers are built on older layers built on still older layers...

Today, most of us are most familiar and comfortable with the three most recent layers: the Southeastern European style that became popular at the end of the 19th century, on top of that the American style of the early to mid-20th century, and finally the kaleidescope of styles that have emerged from the Klezmer revival of the late 1970s.

One of the goals of Yiddish Summer Weimar has always been to develop an awareness of all this gorgeous complexity, above all to learn to hear and play the differences hiding in one piece, sometimes even in one phrase.

This year, the special focus of the Advanced Instrumental Workshop is one that has received little attention so far - the German layer in Klezmer music. The origins of the Yiddish language and culture lie in Germany, in "Ashkenaz" (Middle Hebrew for "Germany"). As Zev Feldman writes, "The Jews of Eastern Europe never abandoned their cultural link with Germany" (please see his course description below).

So, this year, our 11th in Weimar, a city with a unique meaning for German history and culture, we open the conversation between Yiddish and German traditional music by bringing together an exceptional group of musicians and researchers. On the Yiddish side, it's a great pleasure and honor to welcome clarinetist and scholar Joel Rubin for the first time to Weimar. Violinist Deborah Strauss and guitarist/mandolinist Jeff Warschauer are long-overdue returnees, and this workshop would be unthinkable without the contribution of tsimblist and historian Walter Zev Feldman. Our German music experts are equally illustrious. Ralph Gehler is a historian, ethnographer and an internationally prize winning bagpipe soloist, specializing in North German music. He writes, "Where others look for surprising sounds with synthesizers, I'm on an expedition for new sounds in the past." Vivien Zeller is one of the finest traditional German violinists specializing in German music with a special interest in the nuances of style and rhythm that distinguish different musics.

We hope you can join us for the first workshop of its kind, a reflection and exploration of Yiddish and German traditional music that will be equally inspiring, informative, joyous and provocative.

Advanced Instrumental Workshop: Hybridization of the German Baroque and Roccoco with Ottoman Turkish Music in the East European Klezmer Repertoire.Professor Walter Zev FeldmanThe Jews of Eastern Europe never abandoned their cultural link with Germany. In instrumental music, by the 19th century the German connection was primarily in the baroque and roccoco styles. Klezmer musicians combined these older Western elements with features of Ottoman Turkish music, plus techniques coming from Ashkenazic liturgy, to create a unique style and repertoire. Early German-Jewish sources also show reflections of this style in a transformed manner. The present workshop will concentrate on several related sources:

Klezmer tunes found in the Beregovski and Kostakowski Collections that were created in part under the influence of the German baroque and roccoco

Klezmer tunes from the Ukrainian Weintraub Manuscript (ca. 1830) and the German Beer Manuscript (1796)

Ottoman Turkish urban dances and military music from the 17th and 18th centuries

For many of us, our first contact and fascination with anything Yiddish happened in a concert of klezmer music or Yiddish song, or possibly at a Yiddish dance event. But these forms of cultural expression - song, instrumental music, dance - belong together as parts of a world that also includes the Yiddish language, literature, storytelling, humor, theater, cuisine, and even a specifically Yiddish understanding of time and place. In short, klezmer music, Yiddish song and Yiddish dance belong to the world of Yidishkayt, and to really understand them, it's necessary to get the bigger picture, too.For the first time in 2011 (and with the friendly support of the Volkshochschule München (www.mvhs.de), Yiddish Summer Weimar offers a 3-day, intensive introductory workshop in klezmer music, Yiddish Song & Yidishkayt. Participants choose to focus either on Yiddish song, under the direction of Andrea Pancur and Dorothea Greve, or on klezmer music, under the direction of the wonderful Queen Esther Trio: Emma Stiman (clarinet), Ilya Schneyveys (keyboards) and Mark Kovnatskiy (violin). About half of each day the two groups will meet separately. During the other half, all the participants and teachers will be together for classes on Yiddish language, culture, music theory, dance and more, directed by the entire team of teachers. The workshop emphasizes hands-on, practical learning, in other words, active participation, not listening to lectures.And as an added bonus, participants in this workshop can join the evening outdoor café Yiddish and German folk dance sessions with the dance teachers, dancers and dance musicians participating in the parallel Professional Dance Seminar.Although this is an introductory workshop in Yiddish music and culture, it is not intended for beginning instrumentalists or singers. Both singers and instrumentalists should already have an intermediate to advanced technical level so that the focus of the workshop can be on Yiddish content and style, not basic instrumental or vocal technique. It is not necessary to have any background already in Yiddish music or culture - that's what this workshop is for! So, if you are an intermediate to advanced instrumentalist or singer, and you are attracted to klezmer music or Yiddish song, this workshop is for you: after only three days you will be singing or playing Yiddish music and connecting to an incredibly rich and emotionally moving cultural tradition.

This year's 3-day workshop is an exciting experiment: a first encounter and exchange among the world's recognized experts in Yiddish, North German and South German folk dance and folk dance music. Together, they will lead an advanced, interdisciplinary seminar on the unique characteristics and stylistic nuances of their respective traditions while exploring the connections and differences that emerge from this 3-way reflection. Through dancing and music making, advanced musicians and dancers from each tradition will exchange ideas and information in an atmosphere of open discussion and discovery.

This seminar offers a unique opportunity for insights into three different traditions that are integral to European folk dance and folk music culture, whose connected histories have never before been explored in this way. 800 years after the first migrations of Jews from German lands to Eastern Europe, it's probably impossible to discover exactly which dances and music made the journey with them and when. But it's fascinating to explore possible relationships and parallels among these folk dance and folk music traditions, and, through a 3-way cultural encounter, to pose new questions and seek new answers to long-standing issues about their origins, authenticity and inter-relatedness. Join us in this exploration for three days of fascinating folk dance and music and possibly even new discoveries of previously unknown connections among Yiddish, North German and South German traditional cultures.

Recommended background:I. Technique: 3 (in at least one of the traditions)II. Style/Repertoire: 3 (in at least one of the traditions) III. History/Culture: 2 (in at least one of the traditions) IV. Yiddish Language: 0>> Registration/Couse fee

We will help with translations into English, German, French and Russian. back

Dance Music Orchestra: Yiddish, North and South German Folk Dance MusicAugust 2 - 7 (together with Dance for Everyone from August 3 on)

"When the music dances, it moves the dancers!"This year's "Dance Music Orchestra" workshop promises to be the most informative and inspiring in years. In close coordination with the "Dance for Everyone" workshop, we're asking for the first time how far the close historical relationship between the Yiddish and German languages has parallels in their folk dance and dance music as well. We've invited some of the best experts and teachers in Yiddish, North and South German folk dance and dance music to Weimar to lead the exploration.

In this workshop, you will learn to accompany traditional Yiddish and North and South German dances. Through a combination of separate rehearsals and playing for dancing, you will learn the skills to become great dance musicians – for instance, how to play the rhythms and melodies of Yiddish music in a way that really inspires people to dance.

We'll start with a one-day introduction to all three musical styles led by renowned, professional dance musicians in each style. Starting the 2nd day, we'll link up with the Dance for Everyone workshop, playing for dancing while being coached, meeting in separate sessions for rehearsal and individual feedback, and just letting our hair down in the evenings in outdoor café music and dance jam sessions with the dancers.

The workshop is aimed at musicians who are technically fit on their instrument and who have experience playing in at least one of the three musical styles. As preparation for this workshop, you'll receive mp3s and sheet music in advance. To get the most out of this workshop, we recommend you to learn these tunes by heart.

August 3 - 7: the Dance for Everyone and Dance Music Orchestra workshops come together for two large sessions each day. Dance sessions with live music take place every evening in the historic cafés and restaurants of Weimar, except on Friday evening (A shtim fun harts, please see under Concerts/Events). The final dance ball takes place on Sunday, August 7.

Daily Schedule (except on Wednesday, August 3, when we meet all together for the first time)9:30 am - 10:15 am: Dance orchestra rehearsal, Place: Dance hall

This year's "Dance for Everyone" workshop promises to be the most exciting and inspiring in years. For the first time we're asking how far the close historical relationship between the Yiddish and German languages has parallels in their folk dance and dance music as well.

We've invited some of the most important experts on Yiddish, South German and North German folk dance and dance music to Weimar to explore this question together with us.Because folk dance and dance music go hand-in-hand, we'll be working closely together with the "Dance Music Orchestra" workshop teachers and students, and they will provide irresistable, live music for all the dance teaching and evening dance sessions.

This workshop is for everyone who loves to dance, from novices through experienced dancers. Come join us in Weimar this summer and experience great dancing to live music and fascinating cultural exploration. You can expect a workshop led by the world's best dance teachers, much fun, unforgettable moments and new discoveries!

Structure of the WorkshopAugust 3 - 7: the Dance for Everyone and Dance Music Orchestra workshops come together for two large sessions each day. Dance sessions with live music take place every evening in the historic cafés and restaurants of Weimar, except on Friday evening (A shtim fun harts, please see under Concerts/Events). The final dance ball takes place on Sunday, August 7.

We regret that we have to cancel this workshop due to low registration. Instead, we're adding a Basic 2 level to the Klezmer, Yiddish Song & Yiddish Culture Intermediate Level 2 workshop, August 9-14. If you already registered for the Basic Level 2 workshop, we will contact you to discuss your options. Registration remains open for the combined workshop: Klezmer, Yiddish Song & Yiddish Culture, Basic & Intermediate Levels 2, August 9-14.

This workshop is a continuation of last year's Introductory & Intermediate Workshops in Klezmer, Yiddish Song & Yidishkayt. But newcomers are more than welcome! Following the success of last year's workshops, we've expanded the workshop to six days this year, including a final student concert.

To go deeper into the style and repertoire of Yiddish song or klezmer music, it's also necessary to understand their connection to each other and to other facets of Yiddish culture. Klezmer and Yiddish song belong together as parts of a world that also includes the Yiddish language, literature, storytelling, humor, theater, cuisine and even a specifically Yiddish understanding of time and place. This year, we'll explore the connections among these forms of cultural expression - song, instrumental music, dance - with a special focus on related German cultural forms.

Like last year, this year's workshop is designed for both singers and instrumentalists. Participants choose to focus either on Yiddish song or klezmer music. About half of each day the two groups will meet separately. During the other half, all the participants and teachers will be together for classes on Yiddish language and culture, music theory, dance and more. The workshop will be conducted by a small team of very experienced teachers who are expert at involving students in direct, hands-on learning.

The Hebrew alphabet ("square script") is the key to one of the world's richest and most fascinating cultures that originated 1000 years ago in the Rhineland, blossomed in East Europe, and can be found today on every continent - Yiddish culture.In this intensive course, students quickly and playfully learn to read the Yiddish alphabet, opening the door to all sorts of original Yiddish texts, including songs, poems and short stories. You'll get important tips on pronunciation and start to "shmuesn" ("shmooze") in Yiddish in the very first hour to develop a feeling for this expressive and musical language. This course creates an ideal basis for anyone working with Yiddish on stage, especially for singers. Previous knowledge is not required, and success is guaranteed! In addition, the course will introduce you to the fascinating story of the origins of Yiddish and you'll experience first-hand the meaning of Yidishkayt!